Saturday, May 06, 2006

With the Cavs moving onto the 2nd round (the first Cleveland team to win a playoff series since 1997) and the Tribe on the West Coast, it’s time to go a little off topic.

Major League has been on HBO all month. And after watching it for the 6th time in 2 weeks the other night, it’s amazing how after not watching a movie for a while, you can pick up a lot of the subtleties. Some items of note:

Harry Doyle and One-LinersAnything that Harry Doyle says in reference to the team is outrageously un-PC or unbelievably funny. The highpoints:-Refers to the team as “Wigwammers”, “The Erie Warriors”, “Sons of Geronimo”-Calls the fans “Wahoo Maniacs” and “Friends of the Feather”-His call-in show is called “Pow-Wow Time”-Best intro to the stadium – “Welcome to the Happy Hunting Ground”

My other favorite is, “We don’t know where Hayes played last year, but I’m sure he did a hell of a job.”The other non-Harry Doyle favorite is Rick Vaughn’s “I look like a banker in this” at the French restaurant.

Actors who got a start in Major League-Wesley Snipes (Wildcats doesn’t count)-Rene Russo-President David Palmer AKA Dennis Haysbert-“Scrubs” janitor plays the construction worker who says, “Who are these f’ing guys?”

The Brilliance of Lou BrownDoes Lou Brown push all the right buttons down the stretch, or what? From starting Harris in the one-game playoff to going with his gut to bring Vaughn in to face Haywood, Brown puts his team in a great position to win.

The other thing I’ve always marveled at is, with the Indians sitting at 60-61 (after Charlie Donovan tells Lou about Rachel Phelps’ plan), Brown tells the team that they have to win 32 games to clinch the division. That means they have to go 32-9 to finish the season at 92-70, according to Brown’s math. And guess what? He nails it, right on the head.

Unbelievable foresight from the skipper.Most Underrated SceneRick Vaughn, thinking he’s cut, launching a chair across the room before his tirade against Lou Brown and his fight with Roger Dorn. Nobody makes an entrance like the Veg-Head.

Random ThoughtsWhere can I find a Jobu statue? Or how about a Chief Wahoo blazer that Lou Brown and Harry Doyle wear? That would go over like gangbusters at the next wedding.

A Few QuestionsWhy was it filmed in Milwaukee?-My first trip to Milwaukee included a drive-by of the Dorn household, a beautiful house on the shore of Lake Michigan.-The bride has friends who attended the final game in the movie, against the Yankees’.

So, why couldn’t these games be played in Municipal?

There is no “All Saints on Euclid”, where Lynn is supposed to get married. Trust me, there’s not.

Watching the movie with my friends’ mother, who works at the Cleveland Public Library, I am VERY aware that the Jake-Lynn library scene did not happen in Cleveland. Trust me, as a 12-year old, you remember your parents’ Mom yelling in the theater, “that is not the Cleveland Public Library”. Something I’ll never forget.

Favorite Character1B Coach Pepper Leach, who is memorable for simply saying, “Take it to ‘em” and is referenced in the Lou Brown line, “Starting to come together Pepper, starting to come together.”The fact remains that if I were to get a Major League inspired jersey, it would be Leach 16 or Gentry 47 (the player who DOES find a red tag on the last day of Spring Training).

Name that TuneIf you’re worth your salt as an Indians and Major League fan, you can answer this question:-Woke up one day, what did I find?

Answer: Holes in my pocket, memories on my mind.It comes from the timeless Bill Medley song “Most of All You” that serves as the Jake-Lynn Romance theme. Right now, you should be humming the tune, thinking of the bullpen car pulling up to Lynn’s apartment.

I can’t be the only one who has not only memorized this masterpiece of American cinema, but also noticed the subtleties.

C’mon Cleveland, wherever you are - let me hear you.

Posted by
Paul Cousineau

5 comments:

"There's a red moon risingOn the Cuyahoga RiverRolling into Cleveland to the lake"

A more memorable song for me is "Burn On", which inspired me to run out and purchase Randy Newman's "Sail Away"...an excellent album by the way. Of couse, that was followed by by me driving into downtown Cleveland last September, blaring the song...only to witness the gut wrenching collapse.

As for Harry Doyle, the character only reminds me of my hatred for Uecker since his anti-Cleveland stance during the 95 World Series.

And for some strange reason, my favorite line is from the cable version where Dorn says "Strike this GUY out" and the word "Guy" is an awful voice over they use to bleep out some choice words about violating one's mother. Its just such a bad editing job that it has actually become endearing to me

watching sunday's game with seattle announcers, they mentioned that C.C. is only 25. i forget how young he is since he's been in the majors forever but combined with 9-1 to end last year its hard to argue that he should be mentioned as an ace in the american league.

I still think Ueker is a prick for his man crush on every Mariner in the playoffs

All Saints School on Euclid did exist in the 1980s when the movie was made. I would know as I went to school there when it came out. We excitedly told our teachers that our school was mentioned in the movies and got in trouble for having gone to see it being told that it was not appropriate for us.